She spent 4 hours in that place,
but in the real world—it was only 40 minutes.
Aurora checked her phone and saw five missed calls—two from Luna, three from Hazel.It was already 12:20 p.m.
"Shit" she muttered.
"I should head back first."
She hurried to the parking area, grabbed her scooty, and punched in the route on her phone.
"Okay, first left… then right… then another left," she whispered, trying to memorize it.
"I know the route."
She was afraid of bikes, so she didn't speed up much. But in just 15 minutes, she reached the college.
Aurora immediately called Luna and told her she was back.
Luna asked "why this late?"
Aurora lied to Luna that she went to a cafe for desert and brought a new watch there as she noticed the watch in her hand.
"You okay? That café was safe, right?" Luna asked.
Aurora nodded, even though she knew it wasn't a café.
"Yeah. Text me when you reach home."
"You too," Luna said. "Text me when you get back too."
"Okay. Bye bye."
---
Later, Luna called Hazel.
"Where the hell are you?" Hazel shouted.
Another girl—Nora—snatched the phone.
"Are you still alive? Come to the room now or else you're dead!"
Aurora stood there speechless, then hung up.
---
Aurora met up with them back at the hostel.
Nora exploded, "Why didn't you inform us?! We panicked!"
"I just… lost track of time." Aurora said.
"Oh, it's okay. Pack up now, we will leave after lunch." Hazel added.
---
They all went to the mess, had lunch, and took the bus to their hometowns for winter vacation.
No one talked about Eldridge Hall or where she went.
Once Aurora reached home, she sent a message to the group chat:
"Back safe. Reached home. Good night!"
Zara replied instantly:
"You better explain tomorrow 😤"
Ruby added a simple:
"Sleep tight, mystery girl."
Luna replied:
"You better be safe."
Aurora smiled faintly and put her phone aside.
She sat with her parents in the hall, lying across her mother's lap like she used to as a child.
They talked for a long time—about college, her new routine, her awkward hostel food habits, and how hard it had been to settle in.
Her mother gently ran her fingers through Aurora's hair, listening with quiet understanding.
But suddenly—
a name echoed in her head.
Caelum Thorne.
The protector sent by Eldridge Hall.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She sat up quickly, startling both her parents.
"I… I feel sleepy. I'll go lie down," she said, faking a yawn.
Her mom looked surprised. "So early?"
"Hmm… just tired."
She kissed her mom's cheek, hugged her dad, and walked upstairs.
Her parents called behind her—
"Good night, sweetheart."
She turned and smiled.
"Good night, Mom. Good night, Dad."
---
She reached her room, closed the door, and locked it from the inside. The familiar space felt… different now.
She glanced around—
the bookshelves, the soft lights, the pale curtains fluttering in the breeze.
Her eyes narrowed.
"Okay… now where is he?" she whispered.
Her voice trembled just slightly.
"If he's protecting me… he should be here, right?"
She paced slowly, searching every corner with her eyes.
"Is he in my room?
Is he a neighbour?
Is he in the air, like Eldridge Hall itself?"
A rush of thoughts flooded her mind.
She stopped in the center of the room, heart racing.
And then, softly—
"Caelum Thorne… are you here?"
Silence.
A breath.
Then—he appeared.
Out of thin air, as if stepping through a ripple in reality.
His eyes were crystal blue, glowing faintly in the dark like starlight.
His face was sharp and unreadable.
He wore a perfectly tailored black suit that made him look both regal and dangerous.
He was… handsome, in a way that wasn't just physical.
There was something unreal about him. Like he didn't belong in this world—but still stood in her room.
Aurora took a step back.
He didn't move. He just stared at her, eyes glowing like embers beneath ice.
"How did you come in?" Aurora asked, her voice barely steady.
Caelum stood still, his glowing blue eyes soft but unreadable.
"You called" he said calmly.
His gaze held hers for a second longer than she could manage, before he added quietly,
"You will be safe. No matter what."
Aurora frowned slightly, her chest tightening.
"How?"
He didn't blink. Didn't flinch.
"If you die… I die too."
The words hit like thunder.
A chill ran down her spine.
Goosebumps rose across her skin, and her cheeks flushed with a sudden heat she didn't expect.
He said it so plainly, like it was a simple fact—not a burden. Not a warning.
Just... truth.
Caelum's eyes flicked down, slowly scanning her.
Her loosely tied curly hair had nearly come undone.
She wore a soft pink pajama top, short trousers, and mismatched slippers. Nothing about her looked "ready" for anything.
Still, he watched her like she was made of something to be admired.
Noticing his gaze, Aurora's blush deepened.
"Stop staring at me like that," she snapped, looking away.
"It makes me uncomfortable."
She crossed the room, trying to seem unbothered, and sat on the edge of the bed, legs folded beneath her.
He didn't move.
But he smiled faintly.
"You're beautiful."
Aurora blinked.
She stared at him, stunned, and then—
let out a soft laugh.
"Even in this state?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Especially in this state."
His voice didn't waver.
Aurora looked down at herself, then back at him. She giggled again—lightly this time, but her heart was still racing.
Aurora's smile faded as reality came crashing back in.
She leaned forward, eyes serious.
"Okay—jokes apart."
She drew in a breath.
"Tell me about that place. Tell me about you. And most importantly… why me?"
Caelum didn't answer immediately. His gaze lingered on her face, almost like he wished he could say something else—something softer. But instead, he sighed.
"Not all your questions can be answered by me," he said.
"But I'll try."
He looked up, eyes glowing again in the dim light.
"Eldridge Hall is ancient.
It's where people like me—people with dangerous powers—are trained to control them."
He paused, as if weighing whether to say the next part.
But he did.
"As for me…
I'm a danger. I always have been.
Feared by almost everyone around me."
Aurora blinked, lips slightly parted. But he continued before she could speak.
"And you… you're the mystery even Eldridge Hall is struggling to solve."
There was silence.
Then Aurora tilted her head and let out a dry laugh.
"So, in simple words—Eldridge Hall is a school.
You're a student.
And I'm Eldridge hall's mystery girl."
She laughed again, louder.
"And nobody even knows why I was chosen."
Her laughter cracked.
"Fantastic."
Another forced laugh.
"Fantastic."
Her voice broke.
Her smile crumbled completely. She stood up, walked slowly toward him.
There was only a breath of space between them now.
They stared at each other longer than either intended.
Long enough to hear not just breaths—but heartbeats.
Aurora reached out and pressed a finger lightly against his chest.
"You—who I've known for what, an hour?—
standing in my room,
telling me I'm a 'mystery to be solved.'"
She pushed him gently with that one finger.
"I am what I am. Nothing more. Okay?"
Caelum didn't resist.
He only smiled faintly and nodded.
"You don't know what you're capable of" he said softly.
Aurora turned her back to him and walked to her bed.
She sat down, hugging her knees to her chest.
"I don't want any of this," she whispered.
"I just wanted to be normal. Like everyone else.
I'm not good at keeping secrets… you know?"
Caelum watched her for a moment, then replied—calm but firm.
"You will be."
Caelum watched her curl into herself, small against the edge of the bed.
Then, silently, he walked toward her.
He sat down beside her—just close enough for warmth, not pressure.
Without saying a word, he gently took her hand into his.
His touch was surprisingly warm. Calming.
"You have to," he said quietly.
"You have to be strong. And right now... you need sleep. It's late."
Aurora looked at him, her eyes still swimming with questions.
"Where are you going?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper.
"Where do you even sleep? Are you living in this neighborhood?"
He shook his head.
"No. I came only because… you called me."
She blinked.
"So, will you always come when I call for you?"
A soft smile curved on his lips—gentle, unforced.
His blue eyes held something she hadn't seen before.
Not fire. Not danger.
But something warmer.
"Whenever you need me," he said.
"I'll be there. So now… sleep.
You're safe. For now."
Aurora stared down at their joined hands, his words echoing in her head.
And then—quietly, she asked,
"Why do you call yourself a danger?"
She glanced up at him again.
"You… you don't seem like one."
There was a pause.
And then she added, almost too softly,
"I actually like you, Caelum."
He turned to her—something flickered across his face, but he didn't move.
He simply smiled.
A soft, sad kind of smile.
"You'll know why… when the time comes," he said, brushing a stray curl from her face with the back of his hand.
"But until then… be careful.
And call me—when you need me.
Remember one thing I am not your protector I am your consequence, Aurora."
He vanished, and she stared at the empty air. She didn't even know whether he was real or not, but she could still feel the warmth in her hands.
And with that warmth—and a mind full of confusion—she fell asleep with a heavy heart, knowing deep down that this was only the beginning.
There was still so much more to see… and even more to learn.